Simply Amazing
by Jean Cooper
Summary: Summer is the most fickle of seasons, coming and easily giving you the illusion that it lasts forever, but in all actuality seems to be the shortest season. Finally updated.
1. Unlikely Beginnings

**Alright. This is the side story to MEMF…this is about Mary's relationship with Kai. I.E- my favorite crack pairing of Kai and Mary. It's going to be a collection of short one shots. I have no idea how many, right now I'm looking at about five. But it's going to be cute fluff for anyone interested in reading. **

**I don't own HM at all. **

_It had begun in an unlikely way, our story. Of course, it's not really as much of our story, as it is theirs. But for any of those interested in how it came to be, I the librarian shall share the story of the summer traveler and me._

I had never thought that I was beautiful. Though many people said I was nice to look at. I always looked nice. Pretty. Cute. But never had anyone told me I looked beautiful. I took me a long time to realize that I didn't want to beautiful. I didn't want to be gorgeous. I wanted to be…

_Amazing._

The first time I met Claire, I thought she was very nice. Emotionally distant, and in truth, she reminded me somewhat of Gray, my only other close friend in this village. Too bad they despised each other.

The first time _he_ approached me about them, I had been elated to discover someone else held my hypothesis. Claire and Gray were perfect for each other. They only needed to see how much they had in common. Of course, that was where it began.

Kai was the most interesting human being I ever met. I could study him for season after season and never be able to figure him out. His emotions ran deep and extreme, but they changed just as quickly as the wind. One moment he could be on the verge of crocodile tears, and the next be laughing and pulling me into a twirling hug as he praised me for a 'smart idea.'

He complimented me often. I was bright, smart, and clever. All the positive synonyms you could think. He never called me brainy, nerdy, or geeky. He always complimented my intelligence, but never my appearance. Kai always had a kind word for all the women of the village, except me. He never told me I was cute or pretty, and even though I was slightly disappointed, it really didn't matter.

Our relationship, if you could call it that, consisted of Kai coming into the library, notes sloppily written as he told me all of his 'plans' to get Claire and Gray together. My side of the relationship consisted of shooting his plans down for being illogical, not completely thought out, and most of the times simply ridiculous.

I never thought that Kai was intelligent enough to pull the wool over my knowing eyes. So when he came in the library one day I didn't bother to hide my manuscript. He probably could barley read anyway. He didn't need to be smart. He was handsome and charming.

"What are you doing?" I raised an eyebrow up at his question as he peered over my desk.

"Nothing…" I had replied softly, and I watched as he looked at the papers before shrugging.

"Can you help me find a cook book? I want to try something new," he asked with a smile. "I couldn't think of anything to do about Claire and Gray today…so I decided I should maybe try to cook something new to help with my restaurant." He explained quietly without being asked.

I wordlessly moved my manuscript to the drawer and stood, walking upstairs alone and searching for a few book for him. When I returned he had given me that genuine Kai smile. Not the one he flashed at everyone else. The one he rarely used.

"Thanks Mary, you are the best." He had said and I blushed, not really knowing why. I took my glasses off and cleaned them out of nervous habit. I then felt a warm hand on my face and I was guided to see the slightly blurry form of Kai.

"What?"

"You're eyes are…truly amazing Mary," he had said softly before mussing my bangs and chuckling.

"A-amazing?" I repeated softly, the blush on my face deepening.

"Yes. Everything about you is amazing," he answered before turning quickly when I put my glasses back on. I wish I had gotten to see his face. But still, my heart fluttered at his words and I smiled softly.

"Thank you, Kai" I said after his retreating form and he waved over his shoulder.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Mary!" he called and left me alone in my library.

Amazing…

But then I questioned it. What was so amazing about me? Of course every time I'd ask Kai would go about the answer, never giving me a straight one. So I just took it as one of his many warm and pretty lies.

Warm- characterized by or showing lively feelings, passions, emotions, sympathies, etc.: a warm heart; warm interest.

I had come to the conclusion that Kai found me interesting, similar to how I found him. It made sense to me, that he would be interested in how someone like me functioned. So his telling me that I was amazing was a pretty thing to hear, be it a lie or not.

Kai had told me that it was the pure and simple truth. I was amazing. I had smiled softly at him, and even as my heart fluttered I replied to him with a quote:

_The pure and simple truth is rarely pure and never simple- Oscar Wilde_

He had taken those words with a grain of salt before smirking at me, rebutting with a quote of his own:

_All truth passes through three stages. First, it is ridiculed. Second, it is violently opposed. Third, it is accepted as being self-evident.- Arthur Schopenhauer_

To say the least, his show of intelligence and the meaning of his words, rendered me entirely speechless.


	2. Summer's End

**I was randomly attacked with plot bunnies for this after a darn near year. I was originally going to do something else, but when Scarlet did her Out of the Blue, I thought my ideas where to close to hers ^_^;;; so I axed them. But now I have an outline for this. Next one shot will deal with said letters, then the one after the Summer he returns, and the next one after that will have to a be surprise. XD Hope you guys enjoy this, and thanks to all who attempted to follow this. Sorry I was in a funk for so long.**

* * *

_What is a season?_

_I can easily give the text book response for it: _

_Cold winter weather transforms into a mild spring, that progresses into a warm summer, that finally cools off into fall. _

_Why do we go through these changes? _

_It all has to do with the angle that the sun's rays hit the earth's surface._

_How long does a season last? _

_Mathematically and common knowledge estimates roughly three months, give or take a few weeks depending on the weather._

_And if asked about Fall, Spring, and Winter I could easily respond the same. But..._

_How long does Summer last?_

_Summer is the most fickle of seasons, coming and easily giving you the illusion that it lasts forever, but in all actuality seems to be the shortest season. The days are longer, the nights shorter, and it seems to take less time for it to pass than the rest of the seasons._

_Kai was the very essence of summer. A fickle man, drifting from one town to another, enjoying his long days and short nights, loving his life and living it in fast forward. _

_When the traveler spoke about time, he seemed to not acknowledge its existence, except to say that it went by to fast._

"It's four, Mary," Gray's gruff voice called as he stood from his chair, stretching and giving me an awkward smile. I nodded and returned my gaze to my writing, still trying to figure out why I couldn't bring myself to write about the main character I had originally thought of. Why couldn't I write about the strong silent hero?

Why did I have the urge to portray him leaning more towards the playful trickster than the brooding male lead that he was supposed to be.

Of course I already knew the answer. I was just unwilling to admit it.

But when Kai left in a few days, I would have no choice but to admit it, and accept the bout of writer's block that would no doubt strike in his absence. After all, he had somehow forced his way into my thoughts, and subsequently my novel. Not that I would ever tell him that, seeing as how is ego was big enough already.

"I'll see you Tuesday then. Thank you for coming Gray," I said absentmindedly, tapping my pen on the paper and shaking my head in defeat. There was no point in even trying at the moment. I was entirely too distracted.

"Sure thing. Enjoy your day off," Gray said quietly, giving me a small glance under the brim of his hat before shuffling out of the library. I stood up, my chair screeching some on the wooden floor as I did so, and I locked the door behind him.

"You can come out now," I said quietly, and let my gaze flicker upstairs. Not hearing a response, I could only presume that Kai had fallen asleep up there.

It wasn't the best idea I thought, for the man to spend the afternoons up there when he failed to leave when the other man arrived. He'd practically leap up stairs to hide before Gray walked in the door. Though I guess I couldn't blame him. Gray's temper wasn't the most pleasant thing in the and evidently Gray had forbade Kai from the library one night when the man wouldn't stop talking about me.

I climbed the stairs slowly and sighed to myself at the thought.

Gray was a nice person, a good friend. He would protect you, no doubt to much. But he was entirely too possessive for my liking. He had a complex in which it appeared that he needed to protect me from everything outside these library walls.

I didn't want nor did I need that.

Cresting the top of the stairs I made out an old worn boot sticking out from one of the bookshelves. I rolled my eyes at Kai's 'hiding place' and walked around the end of the shelf to wake him up. But what I hadn't expected to see was him laying on his side, propped up on one elbow and apparently so immersed in a Tale of Two Cities that it took him turning the page to realize I was there.

"Oh…hey," he mumbled, closing the book and placing it carelessly on the shelf behind him. I raised both eyebrows curiously at him and pulled my long braid over my shoulder and played with it nervously.

"Well Gray's gone home Kai," I said gently, feeling my glasses slide down my nose when I looked down. He nodded and stretched his arms above his head with a large yawn.

"I guess…I should go get a good nights rest. I'll be packing up the snack shack tomorrow…and leaving the day after that," he said gently, scratching the back of his bandana clad head. He seemed to be out of place and awkward…

"Kai… what is it like…to travel around the world?" I finally managed, asking the one question I had forbid myself from asking all summer to the man on his visits. I didn't want to seem desperate for attention or anything, but I was curious.

"Why the sudden curiosity?" he chuckled, looking up at me with a small smirk. I shrugged my shoulders and pulled my hair tie out, mindlessly running my fingers through my long hair and upbraiding it. I saw his eyes watching me intently and felt a blush come over my cheeks.

"No reason really…its just…one day its what I want to do, you know? Travel around the world and see wondrous and new things, "I trailed off wishfully and shook my head, feeling my raven hair spill over my shoulders as I did so.

"Goddess…" he muttered out, and I peeked at him to see that the tan man also had a crimson flush on his cheeks, and I turned my head to the side, observing him. I expected him to go into a great many tales of his travels, but he didn't. "How long do you think it takes someone to fall in love?"

"I beg your pardon?" I mumbled confusion evident in my voice and probably on my face. He didn't repeat himself, because he knew I had heard the question. I ran my fingers more through my hair and separated, beginning to braid it again as I answered him. "I suppose it depends on the individual. Some say there is such a thing as love at first sight, others say it takes longer. There are many factors, pheromones, memories of what triggers the feeling of love in the subconscious," I rambled on, my eyes shut as I braided my hair, not even bothering to check my work.

"Is a summer to short to say that you love someone?" My eyes snapped open at the question that had interrupted my explanation, and I felt my jaw slack some as I stared down at him.

"Well…I'm not sure," I began, feeling my face heat painfully at his intense stare. "I mean…it wouldn't be the best things to say at the moment I guess, especially if you hadn't really paid that person any mind till recently," I mumbled, and I could see his face fall some, but he continued to give a small grin. I met his eyes, all seriousness in my tone. " The best thing to do…would to be to continue the relationship in writing while you were gone…so that…I…she would be able to get to know you better, and …know that you were serious. Women…don't like to be summer flings," I said with a small smile, fingers reaching out to brush his cheek as I turned my head to the side again and gave him a bright grin. "Especially when the summer is over."

"Well then…I'll make sure to write….every chance I get. So she'll no I'm serious," he said quietly, standing up slowly and brushing off his pants. "I just hope she can read my chicken scratch."


End file.
